molyneux



PATENTED JAN. 1 1867.

J. MOLYNEUX.

EXOAVATOR. 2 sums-B33511,

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N0.- 60,774, PATENTED JAN. 1, 1867. J. MOLYNEUX.

EXOAVATOR.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 27 ,4 I W y JAMES MOLYNEUX, OF'BORDENTOWN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE BORDENTOWN MACHINE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

Letters Patent No. 60,774, dated January 1, 1867.

IMPROVED EXGAVATOR.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, JAMES MoLYNEUX, of Bordentown, New Jersey, have invented an Improved Excavating Machine and I do hereby declare the following to befa full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention consists of an excavator, the main feature of which is a frame, carrying an endless chain of buckets and hung to a main frame, in the peculiar manner described hereafter, so that the position of the bucketframe may be entirely under the control of-theattendants, the main frame being at th'e'sainc time so combined with a truck and platform that the entire machine may be readily moved longitudinally, laterally, and in the arc of a circle, as described hereafter.

In order to enable others familiar with machinery of this class to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation. On reference to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specification- I Figure 1 (drawing No. 1) is a. vertical sectional view of my improved excavator.

Figure 2, asideelevation. 4

Figure 3 (drawing No. 2) is a vertical section on the line 1 2, fig. 1.

Figure 4, an end view of the lower portion of the excavator.

Figure 5, a plan view.

Figure 6, a plan view of the. truck, with the base of the machine shown in dotted lines.

. Figure 7, (drawing No. 1,) a detached sectional view of part of the machine; and

Figure 8, a sectional view on the line 3 4, fig. 1, (drawing No.1.)

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The side-frames, A and A, of the machine are secured to the base, B, and are connected together at the top by suitable cross-piecesflz. The crank-shaft, C, of a steam engine, D, secured to the base of the machine, turns in suitable hearings on the oppositeside-frames; and upon this shaft, C, are two driving-pulleys, b and b. Two plates, E and E, are bolted or otherwise secured to the inner sides of each of the opposite side frames, A and A, and in each of these plates is cut a slot, 0, in the formof a. segment of a circle, of which the driving-shaft O is the centre. A bolt, F, passes through theslots c of the two plates, and is secured in any desired position therein by nuts, l (I, (see figs. 2 and 8.) Upon the belt F turns a tubulari shaft, G, provided with a large pulley, a, round which passes a belt, e, from the pulley b of the driving-shaft. To the tubular shaft G is hung one end of n long-frame, H, which is suitably strengthened by diagonal braces, f, and cross-pieces, f. .A hexagonal pulley, I, is secured to the shaft G, between the oppositesides of the frame H, and a similar pulley, I, turning upon a spindle, J, is placed at the opposite end of the frame. An endless chain, G, passes around the pulleys I and I, the links of the said chain being adapted to the hexagonal pulleys, and buckets, K, are secured to the chain 9 at equal distances apart. To the under side of the frame H is hung a chute, h, the end of which is connected to the side-frames of the machine by cords or chains, h; and bencatlrthe chute h is a similar chute, h, hung to the side-frames A and A, and retained in a proper position by suitable cords or chains. A forked rod, L, passes over the frame H, and is connected to each side of the same; and to the end of this rod is fastened a rope or chain, 2', which is wound on a drum, M, secured to a spindle, i, which turns in the opposite side-frames A audA, and which is provided with a cog-wheel, 2', gearing into a pinion, j, upon a spindle, j, motionbeing given to the latter by a hand-wheel, k, through the medium of a belt and pulleys, (see fig. 2.) Upon the shaft G are hung loosely two nuts, I and Z, one upon each side of the frame H, (see figs-{7 and 8,) and in themuts are cut screw-threads, corresponding to those upon screw-rods, N and N, the threads of one being right-handed and those of the other left-handed, as will be seen on reference to the plan view, fig. 5, and each screw-rod terminates in abevel-wheel, m, the two wheels gearing into bevel-wheels upon a shaft, n, which turns in hearings on the opposite side-frames. Upon the end of the shaft 01 is a bevel-wheel, p, gearing into a similar wheel on the end of a vertical shaft, q, (see fig. 3,) which is also provided at its lower end with another bevel-wheel, r, gearing into a smaller wheel, r, upon a. horizontal shaft, 8, the latter having a pulley, 8', to which motion is communicated by 8 bolt from the pulley b of the driving-shaftz The base Bof the machine is connected to-a truck, P, bya.

vertical shaft,-Q, forming the centre of two segmental rails, t and t, which are secured to the top of the truck, and to which are adapted small rollers, 11., hung to the base B, (see fig. 6.) A segmental rack, 11, is secured to the truck near to the track 15, above described, and into this rack gears a pinion, 11, on a vertical shaft, which has a pulley, w, driven by a belt from a pulley, w, upon a shaft, 10 which passes upwards through the base, and may either be turned by the gearing shown in fig. 3, or by any other suitable appliances. The truck P is furnished with four rows of flanged wheels, as, adopted to ways in a platform, R, on the under side of which wheels .3 y are so arranged that the entire machine with truck and platform may be moved laterally. To the upper surface of the platform is secured a rack, S, into which gear the teeth of a pinion, Z, upon the lower end of the shaft Q, the latter projecting upwards through the truck I? and base B, so as to beturned by the appliances shown in the drawing, or by any other suitable gearing.

Operation.

Prcsuming that the working parts of the machine are in the position shown in fig. 1, and that the engine has been started, the shaft 0 turns in the direction of its arrow, fig. 1, and by means of.thc pulley b and its belt e, motion is transmitted to the large pulley e upon the shaft G, the latter turning upon the bolt F, and the hexagonal pulley Irev'olving in the direction of its arrow, fig. 1. The endless chaing is thus caused to traverse inthe frame H in the direction of the arrows, and the buckets dig the ground and carry the excavated soil along the frame and over the pulley I, where it is turned into the chutes 7t and If, by which it is directed into adjacent care. As the soil is thus being dug andremoved, the frame ll, with its chain of buckets, is moved forward as follows: The pulley bof the driving-shaft is thrown in gear, and motion is conveyed from the same to the pulley s and thence, by the gearing above described, to the shaft n. From this shaft motion is imparted to the screw-rods N andN, thenuts land Z are drawn toward the shaft 97., the shaft F is moved along the curved slots 0, and the upper end of the frame H is pulled outwards. The outer end of the frame H is raised or lowered as required by operating the hand lever is, and unwinding the cord or chain z'from the drum M. The truck P and the machine are pushed forward by means of the rack S and pinion Z upon the shaft Q, the wheels at: of the truck running in the ways formed for their reception in the platform R. By operating the shaft 20 the pinion 'v traverses the curved rack 11 of the truck, and the base turns upon the shaft Q, its rollers, u, running upon the curved tracks t of the truck. By these means a curvedlateral motion is given to the base 13, so that the outer end of the frame H may be moved laterally in a curve to any desired point; and a still further latcral'm'otion can be given to the machine by moving the platform R. It is not at very frequent intervals, however, that a forward and lateral movement of the entire machine is necessary, as the frame H, with its endless chain of buckets, is so under the control of the attendants that it can be readily adjusted, either by projecting forward, or raising or lowering its outer end. In making a cutting for a railroad, for instance, large masses of soil may be excavated without-altering the position of the truck P or platform R, the outer or excavating end of the bucket-frame being moved forward, or raised or lowered, by the aid of theserew-rods N and N, and the gearing described, while the machine, turning on the shaft Q, may be moved laterally in the arc of a circle to the full width of the cutting. It is only after the forward adjustment of the bucket-frame has been arrested by the ends of the curved slots in the plates E, and after the soil, to the depth and lateral extent desired, has been excavated, that a forward movement of the tr'ut k is required. On reference to fig. 9 it will be observed that there are lugs or projections on each corner of the hexagonal pulley I, these lugs being situated between the links of the chain, and bearing against the ends of the link as the pulley revolves, so that there can be no fear of any slipping of the chain. i

I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A frame H, carrying an endless chain of buckets, and hung to a frame capable of being turned on a platform or truck. all substantially as described for the purpose specified.

' 2. The bucket-frame H, hung to a bolt or shaft arranged to slide in slots in the frame, and controlled by screw-rods N and N, or their equivalents, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

3. The combination of the tubular shaft G, chain-pulley I, driving-pulley or wheel 0, bolt F, and slotted plates Eand E.

4. The combination of the tubular shaft G, its nuts Z, and the screw-rods N and N.

5. The framework carrying the bucket-frame H, and endless chain of buckets, in combination with the truck P, on which the said framework turns, and the platform R, on which the truck and the entire machine are arranged to traverse, all substantially as described.

In testimony whereofI have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribingwitnesses.

' Jns. MOLYNEUX.

Witnesses:

H. Howsou, Wm. HALL Wastes. 

